Non-discrimination

EU’s von der Leyen in new push for women’s quota on company boards

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will make a new push at boosting women's representation on companies' boards, trying to unblock legislation for a women's quota which has been stuck since 2012.

Swiss to allow simple legal gender transition from 1 January

People in Switzerland will be able to legally change gender by a visit to the civil registry office from 1 January, putting the country at the forefront of Europe's gender self-identification movement.

Obituary: Desmond Tutu, the anti-apartheid hero who never stopped fighting for ‘Rainbow Nation’

"Like falling in love" is how Archbishop Desmond Tutu described voting in South Africa's first democratic election in 1994, a remark that captured both his puckish humour and his profound emotions after decades fighting apartheid.

EU court asks Bulgaria to give passport to baby of lesbian couple

The EU's top court Tuesday (14 December) ruled that Bulgaria must issue an identity document or passport to the stateless baby of a same-sex couple from Bulgaria and Gibraltar.

Belgium, Czech Republic downgraded in civic freedoms report

Freedom of expression and peaceful protests are in dangerous decline even in "established democracies" in Europe, according to the 2021 edition of the annual CIVICUS Monitor index published on Wednesday (December 8).

More than 40,000 march in Vienna against coronavirus lockdown

More than 40,000 people marched through Vienna on Saturday (4 December) to protest against a lockdown and plans to make vaccinations compulsory to curb the coronavirus pandemic.

Lack of commitment from EU countries curbs equality efforts across the bloc

European anti-discrimination strategies risk being “empty policies” unless national governments step up their game, civil society representatives have warned.

EU Parliament sets out two-year diversity roadmap

The European Parliament’s leadership adopted on Monday (29 November) a two-year ‘roadmap’ through which it hopes to “intensify efforts to achieve a more inclusive administration”.

Grappling with Europe’s racist colonial past must go beyond history books

Teaching colonialism is a first step to tackle structural racism in Europe, but inequality will not be eradicated unless addressed in education as a whole, according to experts.

Next German government pledges to fight racism, ensure diversity

The coalition agreement of Germany's Social Democrats, Greens and the liberal FDP puts a special emphasis on measures to guarantee the participation of side-lined and vulnerable groups and to fight racism on all fronts.

French delegation calls for ’emergency’ repatriation of children in Syria as winter nears

France and the EU should help organise “emergency” repatriation of French and other European women and children stuck in Syria before winter sets in, a French delegation said upon return from a mission to northeast Syria, where they met with Kurdish authorities.

Experts call for enhanced efforts to mainstream equality

Member states must take more concrete and legally binding steps to ensure equality in public and private institutions, and policy-making, according to experts at the recent Conference on Promoting Equality Mainstreaming on Friday 19 November.

Hungarian media to publish LGBTI campaign despite risk of fines

Three television channels and several magazines will publish an awareness campaign to educate on LGBTI families, despite the Hungarian media regulator having earlier initiated proceedings against networks on the same grounds, EURACTIV's media partner Telex reported.

Europe’s Roma at risk amid COVID-19 fourth wave

Europe's Roma communities will be at increased risk unless European countries speed up vaccination and design targeted support as the fourth COVID-19 wave and new lockdowns take hold in Europe, experts say.

Content moderation policies continue to face core dilemmas

A new report by the Danish think tank Justitia calls for embedding content moderation in an international human rights framework to ensure common international standards. Yet, critics warn that this voluntary approach is too weak to tackle the ‘Infodemic’.

EU has more work to do for human rights and tolerance

The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights is still lacking visibility and use, especially within the EU member states, according to Michael O'Flaherty, director of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), who addressed EU lawmakers on Monday (15 November).

EU court ruling fails to remove obstacles for voters with disabilities

In theory, all Europeans have the right to vote in local and national elections. But in practice, people with disabilities often face significant hurdles to exercising their voting rights.

Foreign ambassadors slam attack on LGBTQ centre in Bulgaria

Eleven foreign ambassadors in Bulgaria condemned on Monday (1 November) a weekend attack on an LGBTQ community centre that activists said was led by a nationalist candidate in the 4 November presidential vote.

Migrants brace for harsh winter in Bosnia

In Bosnia, close to the border with EU member Croatia, fears of cold, isolation, and evictions persist for asylum seekers soon to face sub-zero temperatures outside camps, as the opening of a new housing facility has been delayed several times.

Young people harassed at EP event; organisers say it wasn’t first time

Far-right youth delegations harassed members of ethnic and racial minority groups at this years European Youth Event (EYE) held at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on 8-9 October.

Bosnia: Afghans stuck in limbo on Bosnia-Croatia border

As the world awaits a possible new wave of refugees from Afghanistan to Europe in the aftermath of the fall of Kabul, vulnerable Afghans already on the EU's border face growing uncertainty.

Three in ten black employees report discrimination at work – UK survey

Almost three in ten black employees feel discriminated against by their employer while four in ten have left a job due to a lack of workplace diversity and inclusion, according to a new UK survey published on Friday (15 October).

Amidst pandemic, rule of law deteriorates in over half the world

The World Justice Project (WJP) has released the 2021 edition of the annual Rule of Law Index, which evaluates 139 countries and jurisdiction areas. The latest index demonstrates multi-year negative trends in the rule of law, some of which have been aggravated by the pandemic.

EU anti-racism action plan aligns well with UN report on racial justice

The EU Anti-racism Action Plan dovetails with the United Nations’ report on racial justice, according to experts. Yet, what is still needed is an integrated approach on how to put them into practice without national governments evading accountability.